<p>My son runs cross country and track, and is looking only at division 3 schools. He is on target to be included on Division 3 teams. If he writes to the coach, what does he say? I know he should give his best scores, and then what? We're not looking for any type of scholarship (and know that athletic scholarships are not available at D3 schools) but would be grateful if the coach put in a word for him. But we don't need to ask that correct? If the college coach likes his time, he'll put a word in? Not sure of the etiquette here. Thanks so much! Cindy</p>
<p>I wanted also to mention that he’s writing first to the coach of the school where his is applying early. Should he mention that in the email or is that irrelevant? Thanks!</p>
<p>You may want to post this in the Athletic Recruits forum. Don’t let the forum title bother you, there are people there who know D3.</p>
<p><a href=“Athletic Recruits - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/athletic-recruits/</a></p>
<p>Thanks annoyingdad - I did as you advised.</p>
<p>My two cents…Based on what you’ve shared, I’d be reaching out to the coach AND Admissions for any D3 school he is interested in. Admissions will have the final say, and they are the ones who can award academics scholarships. While the coach can be an integral part of the bigger picture, he is going to be mostly focused on his sport. You can bring them together and handle this from a position of strength. Good luck.</p>
<p>fenwaysouth: I’m sorry, I’m confused. We’ve never done this before and neither my husband nor I did sports. When you say “reach out to admissions,” in what way do you mean? Email admissions and say that my son wants to run track? We’re not hoping for scholarships, but wondering if the coach can help in some way with admissions decisions (although obviously not if my son is not qualified). Thanks so much. </p>
<p>First, I am totally unfamiliar with track recruiting as my son is a soccer player, but here are some ideas anyway. I would suggest your child e-mail the coach ASAP stating his desire to run track, giving times that show he is appropriately competitive for the team, and listing his GPA and test scores to show that he is academically qualified for the school. The e-mail should be personalized to the coach and school. Address the coach by his name and refer to the team by its name. He could state where his times put him in terms of the teams’ times. I would have your son indicate that he will be calling the coach to discuss whether he would be a good fit for the team and the school. Your son should list his phone number in case the coach wants to reach him, but should definitely take the step of calling the coach within a week. I think conversations regarding obtaining support for admissions from the coach are best had in person or on the phone, not in an e-mail. If the school is local your son could ask whether the coach would be willing to meet with him. Good luck.</p>
<p>I am not sure if this is viable for your or not, but in setting up our campus visit, we asked to meet with the coach (tennis in our case). My son only applied to two D3 schools (the rest were division 1 where tennis was not an option), but both D3 coaches met with him, introduced him to other players, invited him back for a weekend, and asked for his match schedule. In the course of the conversation with the D3 Coach my son was asked about his test scores, GPA, class rank and athletic accolades (all district, team captain, etc). Both D3 schools offered him large academic scholarships and both coaches told him there would be a place for him on the team; but ultimately, he decided to accept an academic scholarship at a D1 school. </p>
<p>If visiting is not an option, I might have your son call the coach before sending a letter. My son did this with some admission counselors and it was positively received. They told him that they get lots of emails and letters, and were impressed that he took the initiative to make a personal phone call. </p>
<p>Best of luck.</p>
<p>cbdnyc said …*fenwaysouth: I’m sorry, I’m confused. We’ve never done this before and neither my husband nor I did sports. When you say “reach out to admissions,” in what way do you mean? Email admissions and say that my son wants to run track? We’re not hoping for scholarships, but wondering if the coach can help in some way with admissions decisions (although obviously not if my son is not qualified). Thanks so much. *</p>
<p>I’m suggesting you call admissions to get information about the school such as tours, open houses, academic programs, etc… You can try to arrange a meeting with the coach directly or do it through admissions. Most people considering D3 schools look at the entire full rounded experience that is more difficult to get at athleticcally focused D1 schools. I’m suggesting you set this meeting up with Admissions for the academic programs to see if it is fit then pursue the track coach. I think if you just look at track programs you are going to miss out on some fantastic academic opportunities. Schools vary considerably even within the same athletic conference. Some coaches in some conference can help with admissions decisions, but what if you can get both Admissions and the Coach working in your favor? Then I think that would be more promisiing than just the coach giving you a recommendation. JMO.</p>
<p>Cb,</p>
<p>My suggestion is that you write an email to a track coach the way that you would write to express interest in a job. Of course, there are no athletic scholarships in D3, so that is off of the board. What would you have your son say in a cover letter to an employer? You would probably say a thing or two about the college’s program, so that the coach does not conclude that your son has written a “mass email.” You would mention the best parts of your son’s background. GPA, scores, awards and times. Perhaps you attach a “college resume” or unofficial transcript. If you are going to be in the geographic area of the college, suggest a meeting. Don’t be afraid to be aggressive. The coach probably gets 300 similar emails. Bon chance!</p>
<p>fenwaysouth: Thanks for clarifying. We’re only contacting coaches at schools that my son is already interested in for academic reasons. We’ve visited, sat in on classes, interviewed, toured, etc. Thought we’d add the coach to the mix, but wasn’t quite sure how it would work. So for his early decision school, he wrote that he was applying early decision, gave grades, gave times, and said he’d love to run at that school. Not sure if there is anything else to say. </p>
<p>Again fenwaysouth is spot on. Prior to touring a D3 school of interest, your son should submit the recruiting questionnaire and then call the recruiting coach for your area to arrange an interview when you visit the campus. This is a great way both to learn about the athletic program and to get on a coach’s radar screen. After the visit. your son should send a follow up email confirming his interest, if accurate. </p>
<p>As I said in your other thread:</p>
<p>With track and XC it’s really kind of simple. Your times are what the stopwatch says they are. The coach is basically looking for people who are fast enough to help his or her team, and academic enough get in to his or her school. So cast a broad net and write a lot of coaches. It can be almost the same email to each of them, but it should come from your son, not from you.</p>
<p>Keep it simple. Your son should give his PRs in his best events, any awards he has won running, and maybe link a youtube video or something if he has one (but don’t worry about it if he doesn’t). Also provide basic academic credentials: GPA, weighted GPA, test scores, quality of high school, difficulty of schedule. Just basically introduce himself. If the coach is interested, they will take it from there.</p>
<p>Don’t be bashful - the coaches want to hear from students who are interested in their school. They can’t tell from race results whether your son is a good student, or whether he might be interested in going to Wassamatta U., not until your son tells them.</p>
<p>Sounds like you are a bit late in the process, but if your son is a good enough runner, a coach will still be interested, especially if you tell the coach that he is already planning to apply ED to that school. The coaches LOVE to hear that.</p>